Back Pain Programme

New for 2017 - Bringing enjoyment to the management and alleviation of back pain.

Introducing a patient centred flexible back / neck pain programme based on the latest scientific evidence and underpinned by play.

Here is what you can expect if you would like to come under Luke R. Davies care and filter into this flexible, individualised rehabilitation plan.

Most clients want to know the following 4 things:

Whats wrong with me

How long will it take to get better

What can I do to help myself

What can you as a clinician do to help me

The first two points will depend on an accurate diagnosis of what is going on in your particular case. Pain can be a very strange thing and is not the same for any two people. It is for this reason that you can expect your initial examination to take up to two hours to get all the relevant information.

The first step is diagnostic triage. You will be comprehensively assessed with a full Bio-Psycho-Social (BPS) examination to work out if you are in the right place or require referral (triage) to appropriate care, your General Practitioner (GP) for example.

You will be asked a full clinical history of not only your presenting complaint, but also any appropriate medical history, medications, hobbies and so forth. This part of the assessment gives an impression of your psychological and social well being. Working out what is contributing to your pain is a bit like detective work. All the information regarding your particular case goes into a metaphorical 'basket'. You will undergo a physical examination to test any relevant movements, joints, muscles, ligaments or nerves to see if these are contributing to your pain. We call this the Bio (biological or biomechanical) part of the assessment. Every case is completely individual. The importance of the bio, the psycho or the social element of your pain will vary for each person and even vary for the same person through the course of this plan.

Luke R. Davies is a Chiropractor, however the process you can expect is not Chiropractic, it is evidence based Bio-Psycho-Social health care, also referred to as current best practice for the management of back and neck pain (and a host of other persistent pain issues affecting the shoulders, elbows, knees, feet, essentially any body part connected to you). All the information will be gathered into the 'basket' to get a clear diagnosis. Once we have a clear diagnosis you will be informed as to how long this particular issue tends to last. Here is your first two points above taken care of.

Your initial assessment will cost £50.

You will then be required to return for a follow up session known as a 'Report of Findings' (ROF). This session will last 1 hour where your complaint will be clearly explained with supporting evidence. In this session you will understand exactly what you need to do to help yourself and we will also discuss what Luke R. Davies can do to help you, including goal setting. If you are appropriate for this back pain programme (pass the triage part of the assessment) you will be offered an individual plan of management that will involve the following (not exhaustive):

Pain Education

Movement and exercise prescription

Manual therapy including manipulation

Activity modification

Your care will begin in your ROF and will cost you £50. The costs of your specific programme will be discussed in this session.

It is vital to get the really important aspects of triage done as this ensures you are in the right place to get the best of this unique back pain programme.

If 95% of back pain is not serious, why is treatment so serious??

— Luke R. Davies on the integration of play into evidence based pain rehabilitation

It is notable that only 1% of spinal pain is serious spinal pathology (cancer, infection, fracture...) and only 5% involve nerve root pathology (the classic sciatica / radiculopathy). The initial part of your assessment is to rule out the 5% of serious pathology meaning that 95% of complaints are NOT serious pathology. This is very reassuring and liberating and is what underpins Luke R. Davies unique integration of play into rehabilitation. If serious pathology is so rare, why is treatment so serious?? Although your pain may not be caused by serious pathology, it does not mean your pain is any less debilitating. It simply means you are in the right place to manage it and here we make things fun, where possible. Fortunately play has unlimited variations from both psychological to physical forms and has as much evidence to support it as ANY other intervention for back, neck or persistent pain.

The goal of your programme is for you not to need me, or any other health professional as you can successfully self manage

— Luke R. Davies

Here we are very passionate about making the process as enjoyable as possible with lots of creative movements and exercises. If you enjoy it you are more likely to stick with it and we know that adherence is very important.

One important final note is the concept of self efficacy. The goal of working through your back / neck pain programme here is to understand what is going on and how to manage things yourself. The goal is for you to not need me, or any other health professional as you can successfully self manage. Many of Luke's clients choose to stay with Luke for movement work beyond getting out of pain as they enjoy seeing the progress and moving in challenging and novel ways. This will of course be your choice.

Contact Luke R. Davies below if you would like to be considered for the back pain programme.